Highest Essential Oil Content Research Articles

Main Habitat Factors Driving the Phenotypic Diversity of Litsea cubeba in China.

Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. is an important woody spice tree in southern China, and its fruit is a rich source of valuable essential oil. We surveyed and sampled L. cubeba germplasm resources from 36 provenances in nine Chinese provinces, and detected rich phenotypic diversity. The survey results showed that plants of SC-KJ, SC-HJ, and SC-LS provenance presented higher leaf area (LA); YN-SM and YN-XC plants had larger thousand-grain fresh weight (TFW); and HN-DX plants had the highest essential oil content (EOC). To explain the large differences in the phenotypes of L. cubeba among different habitats, we used Pearson's correlation analysis, multiple stepwise regression path analysis, and redundancy analysis to evaluate the phenotypic diversity of L. cubeba. It was found that compared to other traits, leaf and fruit traits had more significant geographical distributions, and that leaf phenotypes were correlated to fruit phenotypes. The results showed that elevation, latitude, longitude, total soil porosity (SP), soil bulk density (SBD), and average annual rainfall (AAR, mm) contributed significantly to the phenotypic diversity of L. cubeba. Geographical factors explained a higher percentage of variation in phenotypic diversity than did soil factors and climate factors. Plants of SC-KJ and HN-DX provenances could be important resources for domestication and breeding to develop new high-yielding varieties of this woody aromatic plant. This study describes significant phenotypic differences in L. cubeba related to adaptation to different environments, and provides a theoretical basis for the development of a breeding strategy and for optimizing L. cubeba cultivation.

Extraction and in vitro active evaluation of essential oil of Acorus tatarinowii Schott rhizome rich in β-asarone using enzymatic pretreatment and solvent-free microwave-assisted method

The essential oil from fresh rhizomes of Acorus tatarinowii Schott was obtained using the EP-SFM method (an enzymatic pretreatment and solvent-free microwave-assisted method) and characterized. The optimal conditions for essential oil extraction have been obtained experimentally through experiments on single-factor and response surface-based optimization. The highest essential oil content (1.48%, w/w) was obtained under the optimal conditions by SEM, TGA, FTIR, GC-MS and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity analysis in vitro assay. The EP-SFM method was found to be effective in improving the extraction rate of essential oils and reducing extraction time, as indicated by the results. More importantly, this method greatly increased the active component content of β-asarone (65.87%), and the content of β-asarone was increased by 18.06% compared with the conventional steam distillation method (SD). The acetylcholinesterase inhibiting activity of EP-SFM essential oil was evaluated as well, which had the best acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity and was closest to the positive control group.

Anti-nutrient contents and methane reduction potential of medicinal plants from maize stover based diet

Greenhouse gas emissions from Ethiopian agriculture are significantly increasing, with the largest share is from enteric fermentation and manure left on pasture. An investigation was conducted to evaluate the anti-nutrient composition and effect of commonly used medicinal plant extracts on enteric methane emission from fibrous feeds using maize stover as substrate feed. Total phenols, flavonoid, tannin and essential oil contents were analyzed using established standards. Effects of leaf extracts of Acacia nilotica, Azadirachta indica, three varieties of Cymbopogon citratus (Cymbopogon citratus-I, Cymbopogon citratus java and Cymbopogon citratus upper awash), Leucaena leucocephala, Moringa stenopetala, three varieties of Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosmarinus officinalis I, Rosmarinus officinalis II and Rosmarinus officinalis III) and Thyme schimperi, seed of three Coriandrum sativum varieties (Coriandrum sativum Batu, Coriandrum sativum Tulu and Coriandrum sativum Waltai) and root of Echinops kebericho on total gas production, digestibility and methane production of maize stover were investigated at different doses using the standard procedures. The results indicated that leaf extracts of Acacia nilotica had the highest (P < 0.001) total phenolic and total tannin contents. Compared to other evaluated plant species, all varieties of Cymbopogon citratus had the highest (P < 0.001) flavonoid content. Significantly high (P < 0.001) essential oil content was observed in Rosmarinus officinalis II than other varieties of Rosmarinus officinalis and other plant species. Significant reduction (P < 0.001) of methane production was observed with extracts of Cymbopoon citratus java (22.5 % less methane than the control) and thyme schimperi (16.7 % less methane than the control) at dose of 50 mg/kg DM. There was also significant (P < 0.001) interaction effect between plant species and dose rates at 50 mg/kg DM for both plant species. It can be concluded that the use of 50 mg/kg DM of Cymbopoon citratus java and Thyme schimperi extract to maize stover reduced methane production without negatively affecting feed digestibility. Further studies are necessary to examine the storability of the extracts in different time durations and evaluate their effects in vivo with animals.

Novel approaches for lemon grass essential oil extraction: Ultrasound sonication and sparger‐based microwave assisted extraction as a combined technique

AbstractThe utilization of essential oils spans across various industries, encompassing food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Lemongrass, an herb renowned for its high essential oil content, was the focal point of this research. The objective was to explore a novel approach to extract essential oil from lemongrass by employing ultrasonic sparger‐based microwave‐assisted extraction (U Sp‐MAE) coupled with ultrasound sonicator pretreatment. The findings revealed that the application of the U Sp‐MAE technique, combined with ultrasound sonicator pretreatment, resulted in a significant increase in lemongrass essential oil yield. At a mixing ratio of 80 g of chopped lemongrass per 500 mL of deionized water, a remarkable yield of 1.87% was achieved. This study demonstrates the potential of the U Sp‐MAE technique, with ultrasound sonicator pretreatment, as a promising and efficient method for extracting essential oil from lemongrass. Furthermore, its potential applications extend to industrial settings, offering new avenues for utilization.

Chemical characterization of mint (Mentha spp.) germplasm from Central Java, Indonesia

Abstract. Lianah L, Kusumarini N, Hafshah M, Krisantini K, Kurniawati A, Ahmad MA. 2023. Chemical characterization of mint (Mentha spp.) germplasm from Central Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 4307-4313. The main objective of this work was to evaluate and compare the leaf production and oil content of the four mint genotypes (Mentha spp.) from Central Java, Indonesia. Four genotypes were collected from Rejosari Village, Kudus District, Central Java, Indonesia, namely spearmint (Mentha spicata), peppermint (Mentha x piperita), orange mint (Mentha x piperita ‘Orange’) and chocolate mint (Mentha x piperita ‘Chocolate’). Essential oil extraction was carried out by steam distillation. Identification of the chemical compounds of the oil and their relative percentage were analyzed using GC-MS. Leaves productivity ranged between 500-1000 kg/ha, and essential oil content from 0.4 to 1.36%. The major essential oil constituents detected were 1,8-cineole, carvone, limonene, linalool, linalyl acetate, menthol, menthone, menthyl acetate, and piperitenone oxide. Chocolate mint had the highest leaf production and the highest content of essential oil (4.17%) and menthone yield (28%) compared to the other genotypes.

A new approach on essential oil production of Origanum onites L.: Microbial fertilization and microwave extraction

In many studies plant and microbe interaction has been observed due to its stimulating effect on plant oil content. Bacillus spp. isolates used as microbial fertilizer/biostimulant have shown a higher potential for enhancing plant production and quality. However, there is still a need for investigating the essential oil content of plants, particularly for the pharmaceutical industry, to increase the targeted essential oil quantity and quality. Thyme is a crucial plant in medicinal aromatic herbal production and export, and its economic value is steadily increasing due to its high essential oil content. This study explores a novel approach to increase essential oil content through microbial fertilization (biostimulation) and microwave extraction methods. The microwave extraction method offers comparable yields to other methods, requiring less time, energy, and only a small amount of water to hydrate the dried plants. Microbial fertilizer formulations were applied to İzmir thyme (Origanum onites L.) to assess their effects on yield and quality. Three distinct microbial fertilizer formulations (N, P, NP) containing bacterial isolates of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus megaterium, as well as a consortium of these two bacteria, were employed in this study. Among the applications on İzmir thyme, the NP formulation (a combination of two bacteria at a dosage of 6 L/ha−1) exhibited the highest efficacy in terms of yield and quality criteria. Moreover, the essential oil ratios (1–2%) obtained from the same fertilizer application, using microwave extraction to enhance quality and accelerate the extraction process, yielded higher than other methods.This study provides preliminary data and a new approach to regulate and enhance the targeted yield and essential oil content of thyme plants by utilizing microbial fertilizer applications and the microwave extraction method.

Larvicidal activity, enzyme inhibitory effect, and molecular docking by essential oil, hydrolate, aqueous extract, and major compounds from the leaves of Eugenia uniflora against Aedes aegypti

Eugenia uniflora is a plant native to Brazil that has a wide geographical distribution and produces a high content of essential oils. The aim of the present study was to investigate the larvicidal activity of the hydrolate (Eu-HYD), aqueous extract (Eu-AE), essential oil (Eu-EO), and major compounds obtained from E. uniflora leaves against Aedes aegypti as well as assess the effects on the digestive enzymes of the larvae. Eu-HYD and Eu-AE were obtained from the leaves as byproducts of the EO isolation by hydrodistillation. Selina-1,3,7(11)-trien-8-one (1, 57.55 %) and oxidoselina-1,3,7(11)-trien-8-one (2, 21.18 %) were the major chemical compounds in the EO, as determined by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Eu-EO exhibited the most promising larvicidal activity (LC50 = 35.9 ± 1.02 mg/L), followed by Eu-AE (LC50 = 12.205 ± 1.04 mg/L) and Eu-HYD (LC50 = 42.4 ± 1.02 mg/L), whereas compounds 1 and 2 had an LC50 of 77.8 ± 1.06 and 41.2 ± 1.06 mg/L, respectively. Moreover, Eu-EO, Eu-AE, and Eu-HYD inhibited α-amylase activity in the Ae. aegypti larvae. Docking studies on the altered enzymes indicated that the affinity of compound 2 for Ae. aegypti α-amylase is slightly higher than that of compound 1. These results suggest notable larvicidal activity for all products of Eugenia uniflora leaves, making such products bioactive candidates for interrupting the reproduction cycle of Ae. aegypti, which is the main vector of arboviruses.

KARAKTERISTIK AKSESI KENCUR (Kaempferia galanga L.) BERDASARKAN KOMPONEN MINYAK ATSIRI PADA DUA LOKASI YANG BERBEDA

Rhizome with high productivity and content of bioactive ingredients is the hope to be achieved from the cultivation of galanga (Kaempferia galanga L.). Galanga is used traditionally as a medicine for stomach ulcers, colds, headaches, coughs, diarrhea, facilitating menstruation, skin diseases, and rheumatism. Production of secondary metabolites is influenced by environmental factors and the place of growth. This study aims to determine the effect of the growing environment from two different locations on the essential oil content and its constituent components from the rhizome of the galanga accessions. The samples observed were nine accessions of galanga harvested at 6 months which were planted in the Bogor, namely Darmaga (L1) and Cisarua (L2) with a altitudes of 214 m asl and 780 m asl with different agro-climatic conditions. The accessions tested included Purbalingga (PBG), Cilacap (CLP), Purworejo (PWJ), Karanganyar (KRA), Pacitan (PCT), Madiun (MAD), Galesia 1 (GAL 1), Galesia 2 (GAL 2), and Galesia 3 (GAL 3). GAL 1, GAL 2, and GAL 3 are high yielding varieties of galanga that have been released by the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia and used as comparisons based on their essential oil content. Observations were made on the levels of essential oils and their constituent compounds using GC-MS (Gas Chomatography-Mass Spectroscopy). Differences in growing places affect the content of essential oils and their constituent components from the rhizome of the galanga accession. Environmental factors that influence are sunlight and water availability. The highest essential oil content (3.78%) was obtained from the MAD accession planted in Cisarua (L2) and the highest EPMS compound (34.74%) was obtained from the PCT accession planted in Darmaga (L1). There were 73 compounds detected with four main components, namely delta-3-carene, pentadecane, ethyl cinnamate, and ethyl p-methoxy cinnamate (EPMS).

Essential Oil Content and Components in Different Purple Basil Genotypes According to the Diurnal Changes

In the present study the diurnal variations in plant parts of different purple basil genotypes were determined. Three different purple basil genotypes (Arapgir, Piros and Midnight) were used as plant material. Plants were harvested at 06:00, 12:00, 18:00 and 00:00 hrs to determine the diurnal variation within a day at harvesting time. Essential oil ratio among genotypes, harvesting times and parts of plant varied between 0.46- 0.95%, 0.60 to 0.92% and 0.14-1.29%, respectively. Essential oil ratios among the triple interactions were found to range from 0.05 to 2.57%. The major essential oil was linalool in all genotypes. Results showed that the higher essential oil ratio can be obtained from dry flowers of Arapgir genotype harvested at 00:00 and also, Midnight genotype contained higher essential oil content than others. Bangladesh J. Bot. 52(2): 357-367, 2023 (June)

Effect of bone meal on growth traits, photosynthetic pigment content, and essential oil chemical composition of Pelargonium graveolens

Pelargonium graveolens is one of the most cultivated aromatic and medicinal plants in the world and particularly in Morocco, due to its economic importance. The essential oil of this species is widely used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Moreover, the essential oils composition depended on several factors in particular the supply of minerals. In the present investigation, a pot experiment was performed to examine the effect of different rates of bone meal (BM) (0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 4%), on the growth traits, photosynthetic pigment content and essential oil chemical composition of P. graveolens. The BM application led to an increase in all growth traits, such as plant height, dry and fresh weights, and photosynthetic pigments content, of which the highest increase in these parameters was found with the 4%BM treatment. In addition, the highest essential oil contents were obtained with the 2%BM (0.28%) and 4%BM (0.30%) treatments. In all treatments, Citronellol, Geraniol, 10-epi-γ-eudesmol, and Citronellyl acetate are major compounds in the essential oils, but their percentages in each treatment were very different. Some compounds such as cis-Rose oxide, geranyl valerate, and Geranyl formate appeared in P. graveolens essential oil when BM was applied at 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1%. While β-Bourbonene appeared in the essential oil when BM was applied at 1.5%, 2%, and 4%.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BIOCHEMICAL INDICATORS AND PHENOTYPICAL FEATURES OF GARDEN SAVORY (Satureja hortensis L.)

Relevance. Garden savory (Satureja hortensis L.) is an annual medicinal plant of interest due to the content of essential oil and phenolic compounds, the content of which varies depending on the variety. Identification of the relationship between morphological and biochemical traits will make the se-lection of productive plants more effective and accelerated. The purpose of the study is to identify the phenotypic characteristics of garden savory plants, indicating a high content of certain pharmacologically significant compounds or their groups. Materials and methods. The 9 samples of garden savory served as the object of the study. The content of essential oil was determined in dry raw materials by hydrodistillation according to Clevenger, the component composition was determined by gas chromatography. The flavonoid content was determined in terms of rutin was carried out in terms of rutin, the amount of phenolic compounds and tannins in terms of gallic acid. Results: Early maturing varieties are characterized by a high content of essential oil (r = 0.685) with a low content of tannins (r = –0.69). There was a relationship between the leaf index and the content of tannins (r = 0.620), with the accumulation of flavonoids (r = –0.522), with the content of γ-terpinene in the essential oil (r = 0.77) and of carvacrol (r = –0.76). The presence of anthocyanin coloration is interconnected with the content of essential oil (r = –0.688) and content of carvacrol in it (r = –0.53), with the content of the sum of flavonoids (r = 0.598), gamma terpinene (r =0.541) and tannins (r = 0.7). Conclusion. The identified phenotypic features of garden savory plants indicate a high content of certain pharmacologically significant compounds or their groups. Thus, is shown the selecting possibility of prospective plants according to external features.

Анализ накопления летучих органических соединений в растениях Hyssopus Officinalis L., интродуцированных в горных условиях

Introduction. Cultivation of medicinal plants in the mountains has its own characteristics due to the high ultraviolet radiation and sharp climatic fluctuations, which is important to consider when farming. In this regard, the issue of studying the accumulation of volatile organic compounds of Hyssopus officinalis L. introduced in these conditions becomes relevant. Aim. Analysis of the dependence of the content of volatile organic compounds in essential oils of 6 cultivars of Hyssopus officinalis L. ("Akkord", "Ametist", "Goluboy", "Dachnyi lekar", "Otradny", "Rozovy") and three forms of the variety "Rozovy": with white, pink and blue flowers introduced at an altitude of 1100 meters above sea level in order to determine the most valuable of them for effective cultivation in mountain areas. Research methods. The essential oils were obtained by steam distillation. The composition of volatile organic compounds was determined by chromatic-mass spectrometry on a Shimadzu GCMS-GP2010 Plus spectrometer with a mass spectrometric quadruple detector with an SLB-5 ms non polar capillary column, 30 meters long. Results. The content of essential oil in varieties ranges from 0.37 to 0.75%. Variety "Ametist" is characterized by a relatively high content of essential oil. Plants with pink flowers contain more essential oil than plants with blue and white flowers. The essential oil of the varieties contains from 31 to 37 components, while the number of major components varies between 13 and 17 compounds. A comparative study of plants of different colors according to the nature of biosynthesis in the essential oil of Pinocamphone and trans-Pinocamphone shows the following: in the essential oil of plants with white flowers, the content of Pinocamphone is observed up to 44.99%, in the blue-flowered form up to 20.85%, and in plants with pink flowers up to 45.23%. A somewhat different picture is observed in the biosynthesis of trans-Pinocamphone: the maximum proportion of this component falls on the sample with blue flowers (34.61%), significantly less in the sample with pink flowers (up to 4.43%), while white-flowered plants have none. The article presents a cluster analysis of 6 cultivars and 3 forms of the "Rozovy" variety (with white, blue and pink flowers) of Hyssopus officinalis L. according to the accumulation of volatile organic compounds. Varieties differ in the content of individual components, while β-Pinene, Pinocamphone and trans-Pinocamphone are the main plant compounds. Conclusions. As a result of the introduction of 6 cultivars of Hyssopus officinalis L. ("Akkord", "Ametist", "Goluboy", "Dachnyi lekar", "Otradny", "Rozovy") and 3 forms of the variety "Rozovy": with white, with pink and with blue flowers at an altitude of 1100 meters above sea level in identical soil-climatic mountain conditions, differences were revealed both in the accumulation of essential oils and in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. The data obtained can be used in laying out areas for the cultivation of Hyssopus officinalis L. for pharmaceutical and food use, which can give an additional impetus to the development of mountainous areas.

Changes in the essential oil content and composition of pelargonium graveolens l’hér with different drying methods

In this study, the effect of various drying methods (fresh plant, shade-drying, sun-drying, and oven-drying at 30 and 60 °C) on the essential oil (EO) composition of rose-scented geranium were determined. Essential oil samples were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC-MS systems. The highest EO contents were obtained in the fresh plant (1.98%), followed by shade-drying (1.34 %) and oven-drying at 30 °C (1.20 %). The main components were citronellol (23.99-39.87%), geraniol (4.15-17.09%), menthone (4.48-8.34%), linalool (1.96-7.42%), β-caryophyllene (2.63-4.32%), geranyl tiglate (0.99-4.52%), citronellyl butyrate (0.53-5.31%) and cis-rose oxide (0.71-3.15%). The drying methods showed a marked impact on the constituents of the EO samples. The results demonstrated that drying the aerial parts of fresh geranium, and shade-drying and oven-drying at 30 °C were the best optimal methods to obtain the highest oil yield, and citronellol, geraniol, and linalool contents in the oil.

Exogenous β-Aminobutyric Acid (BABA) Improves the Growth, Essential Oil Content, and Composition of Grapefruit Mint (Mentha suaveolens × piperita) under Water Deficit Stress Conditions

Grapefruit mint, Mentha suaveolens × M. piperita, belonging to the Lamiaceae family, is an important medicinal plant with applications in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, food, and nutraceutical industries. Environmental factors such as cold, salinity, and water deficit significantly impact the quantity and quality of the active compounds of medicinal plants. To examine the effects of drought stress and β-aminobutyric acid (BABA) as an elicitor on the biochemical characteristics and essential oil (EO) profile of grapefruit mint, a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD) with two factor and three replications under greenhouse conditions. The first factor included field moisture capacity (FC) as the control (100% FC), mild (75% FC), moderate (55% FC), and severe water deficit stress (35% FC), while the second factor consisted of 0 (control plants without BABA), 0.8, 1.6, and 2.4 mM of BABA foliar application. Water stress and BABA application significantly affected the EO content and composition of grapefruit mint. The highest content of EO was observed in mild drought stress and BABA spraying at 1.6 to 2.4 mM, which increased by about 140% compared with the control condition. The EO components were identified using GC-FID and GC-MS analysis. Linalool (33.7–47.3%) and linalool acetate (31.2–52%) were the most abundant compounds. The highest content of linalool acetate was observed in severe drought stress (35% FC) with foliar application of BABA (1.6 mM), which increased by 33.86% compared with the control condition. However, the highest content of linalool was observed under normal irrigation with foliar application of 0.8 to 1.6 mM BABA. Based on the results, severe drought stress reduced the total chlorophyll and carotenoids by 81.76 and 64.6% compared with the control condition, respectively. Water stress and the foliar application of BABA significantly affected the activity of antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, APX; guaiacol peroxides, GPX; and superoxide dismutase, SOD). The application of 1.6 mM BABA significantly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes under water stress conditions. Finally, our results showed that the application of BABA (mainly at 1.6 mM) can improve the grapefruit mint yield and EO profile under water stress conditions.

Phytochemicals, proximate composition, minerals and volatile oil analysis of Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC. fruits

Background: The use of herbal plants is adopted as a traditional medicine because of their minimal side effects. Most plants have bioactive ingredients and nutritional content that can potentially be used as treatments. One plant that has the potential to be a source of modern medicine is Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC. Historically the use of traditional medicine as a treatment has enjoyed a good sense of trust among the public. The purpose of this study was to perform a qualitative phytochemical screening and proximate analysis of samples of Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC. Methods: Used in this study were the phytochemical screening test using the thin-layer chromatography method and the proximate analysis using the AOAC method, which included measuring the ash, water, carbohydrate, total fat, protein, and crude fiber content of the samples. Hydrodistillation was used to isolate volatile oil from the sample, which was then identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The research method used is experimental. Results: From the test, it was found that the phytochemical content of Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC is alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, glycosides, steroids, and triterpenoids. Proximate analysis obtained ash content of 6.19%, water content of 6.35%, carbohydrates of 35.4%, total fat of 2.46%, protein of 16.2%, and crude fiber of 33.4%. Mineral test results prove that Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC contains Pb (&lt;0.07 mg/Kg), Cd (&lt;0.03 mg/Kg), As (&lt;0.03 mg/Kg), Hg (0.0011 mg/Kg), Mn (43.1 mg/Kg), K (321 mg/Kg), Ca (0.22 mg/Kg), Mg (198 mg/Kg), Fe (52.1 mg/Kg), and Na (23.6 mg/Kg). The highest content of essential oil in Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC is geranyl acetate, with a concentration of 24.26%. Conclusions: This study concludes that the research findings of Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC indicate that the phytochemical, mineral, and volatile oil content of the sample is strongly related to its potential to be developed as food and medicine.

Endangered Curcuma caesia Roxb.: Qualitative and quantitative analysis for identification of industrially important elite genotypes

Black turmeric (Curcuma caesia Roxb.) of Zingiberaceae family is an industrially important critically endangered herb, found to have a captivating influence in the realm of traditional medicine. Now that this species is enlisted under critically endangered category and the repercussion of its unavailability in the terrestrial flora exempts us from scientifically exploring its potential biochemical constituents in terms of pharmaceutical and other industrial uses. So, in the present study, the industrially important qualitative and quantitative traits of black turmeric (n = 50) from different climatic zones were studied to select elite genotypes with respect to high anthocyanin and essential oil content. The genotype of Koraput was found to yield high anthocyanin content (7.14%) and high leaf oil content (1.25%) while genotype of Deoghati yields high rhizome oil content (2.55%). The quality analysis of essential oil by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy showed the presence of eucalyptol and camphor as major compounds in leaf and rhizome oils respectively. The selected elite genotypes mostly belong to North Western Plateau, North Eastern Ghat, Eastern Ghat High Land, and South Eastern Ghat agroclimatic zones. Further, 5 elite genotypes from 4 different agroclimatic zones were recommended as industrially important high yielding traits (Anthocyanin > 6%, leaf oil ≥ 1.2%, rhizome oil >1.5%, eucalyptol >20%, and camphor >21%.) and found to be most favourable for the cultivation.

The essential oil from Kelussia odoratissimaMozaff. fruits exerting potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects

Kelussia odoratissimafruits are utilized in Persian traditional medicine as a painkiller and to prevent inflammation-based disorders. Considering the higher content of essential oil in the fruits, the oil’s anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities were investigated via the paw edema triggered in mice and the writhing test and hot plate technique, respectively. It was observed that the 100, and 200 mg/Kg doses of the oil revealed an analgesic impact (p&lt;0.001) considering the increment in the reaction time needed for the hot plate approach. Furthermore, 100 and 200 mg/Kg doses of the oil caused a reduction in the frequency of writhes in the mice (p&lt;0.01 and p&lt;0.001, respectively). Using all examined doses of theoil (25, 50, and 100 mg/Kg) caused inflammatory reduction (p&lt;0.001). The findings indicated that the oil possess significant activities against acute inflammation. It had both peripheral and central pain-killing impacts. The main components 3-n-butylphthalide (28.3%) and germacrene D (17.3%) can be considered as the responsible compounds to manage the inflammation and pain.

Differences in fruit yields and essential oil contents and composition among natural provenances of Litsea cubeba in China and their relationships with main habitat factors

Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. is an important industrial tree in southern China and Southeast Asia. We surveyed and sampled wild L. cubeba in 32 provenances spread across nine provinces of China. We used nested variance analysis, multiple comparisons analysis, hierarchical clustering analysis, Pearson’s correlation analysis, path analysis with multiple stepwise regression, detrended correspondence analysis, redundancy analysis, and variance partitioning analysis to evaluate the phenotypic diversity of fresh fruit yield (FFY) and essential oil (EO) characteristics of L. cubeba, and to explore the relationship between the main habitat factors and phenotypic diversity. We detected wide phenotypic diversity in FFY, EO content (EOC), citral yield (CitrY), and the proportions of the seven main components of EOs (citral, D-limonene, 3,7-dimethyl-3,6-octadienal, 4-methyl-3-pentenal, linalool, citronellal, and 1-(cyclopanecarbonyl)piperidin-4-one). The variation was mainly derived from among provenances (P ≤ 0.01) rather than within provenances, and the variation in FFY and CitrY was greater than that of EOC and the seven dominant components among provenances. We also detected several region-specific components of EOs in fresh fruit, including α-terpineol, geraniol, eucalyptol, and 7-methyl-3-methyleneoct-6-enal. Most of the provenances with higher FFY were distributed in southwestern China (lower longitude and latitude, and higher elevation), while most of those with higher EOC were distributed in southeastern China (higher longitude and latitude, and lower elevation). The three provenances with excellent FFY were YN-XC, GZ-ZY, and SC-KJ; the two with higher EOC were SC-KJ and HN-DX; and CitrP was higher in GZ-ZF than in other provenances. Longitude, total potassium content (TotalKC), and bulk density (BD) were the most important factors that influenced FFY diversity, while latitude, elevation, annual average relative humidity (AARH), and organic carbon content (OCC) most strongly influenced EOC diversity, and annual average temperature and annual average maximum temperature (AAMaxT) influenced CitrP diversity. The six main habitat factors together explaining the largest proportions of phenotypic diversity were longitude, AARH, AAMaxT, elevation, latitude, and soil total phosphorus content (TotalPC). Higher soil TotalKC, BD, and TotalPC were suitable conditions for cultivation of L. cubeba to achieve higher FFY, while lower AARH and OCC were favorable for accumulation of EOs, and only lower temperature was more likely conducive to citral synthesis. The wide diversity of FFY and EO characteristics should be taken into account when selecting germplasms for protection and utilization, and the identification of the most important environmental factors affecting phenotypic diversity provides a theoretical basis for the optimization of L. cubeba cultivation.

Standardization of post-harvest practices for best quality essential oil production of Mentha arvensis L.

Mentha species belongs to Lamiaceae family is an important industrial crop, cultivated commercially on large scale. In this study, a common cultivar of M. arvensis with a high essential oil content (Cim Kranti) was investigated to determine the impact of drying techniques for 10 days immediately following harvest on the essential oil content and its chemical profile under three conditions: open field (S1), shade (S2), and ventilated chamber (S3). According to results, significantly higher essential oil (0.723%) with 77.58 % of menthol content was observed in freshly harvested crop on same /1st day of harvest (T1) than any other conditions. M. arvensis was harvested and drying in open field condition (S1) has showed 0.68% of essential oil having rich amount of menthol (76.86 % ) content on fresh sample (T1) which decline to 0.51% essential oil content with menthol content 76.88% at 10th days after harvest. M. arvensis dying in ventilated room (S3) showed essential oil (0.71%) and menthol content 76.58 % on same day of harvest, which later decreases upto 0.6% essential oil with menthol content 74.32% on 10th day after harvest. Results concluded that the best quality and high yield of essential oil of M. arvensis should willingly be distilled fresh just after harvest. It also indicates that postharvest processes should immediately followed harvesting with appropriate drying method to minimize the loss of high quality essential oil.

Essential oil and extracts from Lavandula angustifolia Mill. cultivated in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Antioxidant activity and acetylcholinesterase inhibition

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) is a perennial, aromatic, medicinal, and decorative plant widespread in the Mediterranean. Due to the high content of essential oil and numerous beneficial properties, it is an extremely valued plant species. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, lavender is cultivated mainly for the needs of the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. In this research, the antioxidant activity and acetylcholinesterase inhibition of essential oil (EO) and extracts isolated from lavender were evaluated. L. angustifolia EO was isolated using whole plant material in the flowering period by steam distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) with flame-ionization (FID) and mass spectrometric (MS) detection. Extracts were prepared by ultrasonic extraction in solvents of different polarities. Total phenolic content in extracts was determined using Folin–Ciocalteu reagent. The antioxidant activity of EO and extracts was examined by two methods, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) radical scavenging activities and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP), while the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory potential was determined using modified Ellman’s method. The EO was high in content of linalool (27.72%) and linalyl acetate (22.82%), followed by α-pinene (9.82%), lavandulol acetate (7.32%), trans-caryophyllene (5.70%), and others. In total, 24 components were identified. Total phenol content was highest in water and ethanol extracts (45.3 and 14.40 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry extract). Polar extracts indicate good antioxidant power according to both methods, while EO can be considered as good inhibitor of AChE.